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It's Fun to Play the Piano ... Please Pass It On!

I was at a friends house the other day, and she had acquired an old upright (Benjamin Curtaz) that her tech told her was wonderful, and not to give away. He had taken the whole action out to work on so that all that was there were the strings. I plucked one of the strings on the lower end of the treble and was astounded at the sound and sustain that came out of that thing.

Since then on a few pianos I have been plucking as much as playing so I can hear what it sounds like without the variable of hammer condition getting in the way. However.....on my friend's piano I could pluck from the middle without anything in the way.....on everything else I have to pluck much closer to the pins.

Sure, the "strike point" is very important, just like playing a guitar near the bridge, or near the middle. The relative volume of each overtone is different, depending on where the string is struck. Can you hear the difference in sound?

Yes, I can hear the difference, but didn't know how much to attribute to different pianos, or that I was plucking from different strike points. On my own upright, I cannot get behind the dampers to go lower down.... same with another upright I tried, and today I couldn't get under the bass strings of a grand I looked at. Am I right in thinking the further I get toward the middle the richer sound I will get? Not sure how to make use of this info as I look at pianos. I guess if I pluck all of them near the top or front then I can make a fair comparison?

newinstru, it is generally not a good idea to pluck piano strings, and definitely not on a new instrument. Human hands have oils and acids which will corrode strings, tarnishing the plain steel strings and the copper wound bass strings. If you need to satisfy that plucking curiosity, you can use something like a guitar pick. Be careful not to dislodge or un-seat any dampers as this will result having to call in a technician coming to rectify things.

Originally Posted By: newinstru?

... Not sure how to make use of this info as I look at pianos. I guess if I pluck all of them near the top or front then I can make a fair comparison?

Unless you have a very trained ear, plucking will probably not be helpful in trying to evaluate pianos that you are looking at....just play 'em....

I guess I kind of mAde it sound like I've been running Around plucking piano strings, but it was with permission, with my fingernail, to my own piano and 3 others, none new. I first did it to see what my piano sounded like without its terrible hammers getting in the way. But..... Your gentle admonition is duly noted and I will be good!

newinstru, it is generally not a good idea to pluck piano strings, and definitely not on a new instrument. Human hands have oils and acids which will corrode strings, tarnishing the plain steel strings and the copper wound bass strings. If you need to satisfy that plucking curiosity, you can use something like a guitar pick. Be careful not to dislodge or un-seat any dampers as this will result having to call in a technician coming to rectify things.

Originally Posted By: newinstru?

... Not sure how to make use of this info as I look at pianos. I guess if I pluck all of them near the top or front then I can make a fair comparison?

Unless you have a very trained ear, plucking will probably not be helpful in trying to evaluate pianos that you are looking at....just play 'em....

+1

A knowledgeable dealer will not thank you for touching anything inside a piano.

Unless you have long fingernails, the flesh will touch the string.

The dark stains from touching with the fingers take a few days to show. It looks ugly and too much of it dulls the tone of a strong.

You might be mindful that plucking strings on a piano with all the dampers removed will sustain nicely no matter what. Since there are no impediments to the entire sound board/string assembly reverberating, the sound will sustain an unusually long time.. Then again, it could be a wonderful instrument, but without any encumbrances, (Dampers) it would be hard to judge.

Around plucking piano strings, but it was with permission, with my fingernail, to my own piano and 3 others, none new. I first did it to see what my piano sounded like without its terrible hammers getting in the way. But..... Your gentle admonition is duly noted and I will be good!